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Festo, a Germany-based automation and technical education company, has opened a 71,000 sq ft global capability centre (GCC) in Bengaluru, India, marking a significant milestone as the company celebrates 40 years of operations in the country.

The centre, located near Electronics City, currently houses over 250 employees and has 50 open positions, with plans to accommodate up to 600 people.

The GCC will serve as a strategic hub for advanced engineering, digital solutions, software development, data analytics and process excellence, supporting Festo’s global operations.

Ravi Sastry, Managing Director of Festo India, said the centre aligns with the company’s vision of automation for a sustainable future and will drive global R&D initiatives while fostering collaboration with India’s technology and engineering talent pool.

“This GCC is not just another building; it is a strategic footprint for the future,” Sastry said, adding that Bengaluru was chosen for its strong engineering talent base. The centre will use automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to support global research and development initiatives.

“With global realignment, India is playing a huge role,” Sastry said. He added that India is becoming a natural partner for Europe, which could support the relocation of production volumes over time.

Sebastian Beck, Member of the Management Board for Human Resources and Finance, said: “Being localised to provide for local market needs with locally engineered, procured and produced products is critical for market success.”

Alok Maheshwari, Head of GCC, Festo India, said the India team will double following the expansion. He added that around 30 to 35 per cent of the workforce will comprise domain engineers to support product development.

Festo has hired over 100 people in the past year and plans to continue expanding its workforce, focusing on value creation rather than just headcount growth. The company aims to leverage automation, artificial intelligence and machine learning to enhance global research and development efforts.